DEFENSE COMMUNITIES 360

Proposed UAV Corridor Takes Shape in Oklahoma

Officials with DOD, Oklahoma State University, and the Oklahoma state government are proposing an “air corridor” near Fort Sill for UAVs (Unmanned Arial Vehicles), according to DOD Buzz.

Army commanders continue to call for more UAVs to be designed and produced, while engineers complain that they have little opportunity to do any testing with the UAVs because of regulations put in place by the Federal Aviation Administration. The air corridor would provide a dedicated space for engineers to test UAVs at high altitudes without worrying about interfering with commercial or civil air traffic.

Stephen McKeever, Oklahoma’s Secretary of Science and Technology is optimistic that the corridor would also help bring in more UAV-related jobs and investments to the area. The FAA must develop a strategy by 2015 for opening up the national airspace to UAVs.